The Life and Music of Charles Wesley (8/23/15)

God “strangely warmed” the hearts of both John and Charles Wesley, and these brothers persevered through persecution to spread the Gospel. They nurtured people in the faith who were previously only being fed by the traditions of the organized church. In his sermon of August 23, 2015, Pastor Jim looked at the faith and conviction of these two men as demonstrated in the hymns of Charles Wesley.

Click on the following “Play” button, scroll down, and follow along (this recording is from the 9:30 service)…

This morning’s sermon was based on Ephesians 5:15-20. Click on the below drop down box to follow along…

Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. (Ephesians 5:19, NLT)

Even during creation, God had “background music” playing. Music has always been God’s way of communicating with us. Music is within us as a way of expressing the spiritual; the things that we can’t grasp with words alone.

John Wesley

John Wesley felt that the Anglican church- his church- was inwardly focused and was not reaching the community. It was not bringing true faith to the people. So he formed “Holiness Groups” around the England which brought the Word of God down to “where the rubber meets the road.”

Music became a way to express God’s word in a meaningful way, and Charles Wesley wrote words that used music to stir the hearts of people to bring them closer to God. Even today, these hymns of Charles Wesley (and others), help us express our faith in a deep and meaningful way.

1: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (1739)

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Revelation 5:11-12

Charles Wesley wrote more than 6000 hymns during his life time (1707-1788). “O for a Thousand

Charles Wesley

Tongues to Sing” may be considered to be his first; it was written shortly after his conversion in 1739. He suggested that we should sing this hymn on the anniversary of our own conversion (if we have such a definite date). This hymn is traditionally the first hymn in any United Methodist Hymnal (page 57 in our current edition).

1.  O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise,
    the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!

2.  My gracious Master and my God,assist me to proclaim,
    to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name.

3.  Jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease;
    'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life, and health, and peace.

4.  He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free;
    his blood can make the foulest clean; his blood availed for me.

5.  He speaks, and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive;
    the mournful, broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe.

6.  Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,	your loosened tongues employ;
    ye blind, behold your savior come, and leap, ye lame, for joy.

7.  In Christ, your head, you then shall know, shall feel your sins forgiven;
    anticipate your heaven below, and own that love is heaven.

13.  Look unto Him, ye nation's own; Your God ye fallen race;
     Look and be saved through faith alone; be justified by grace.

16.  Murderers and all ye hellish crew in holy triumph join!
     Believe the Savior died for you; for me the Savior died.

= = = = = = =

2: Jesus Lover of My Soul (1738)

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So we say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:6

When Charles and John were preaching, it was during a time of great change in the Christian Church, and emotional responses to the new thing God was doing ran deep. It was not unusual for violence to result.

On one particular occasion in 1738, Wesley was preaching in the fields of a parish in Ireland when he was attacked by men who did not approve of his doctrines. He escaped to a farmhouse, where the farmer’s wife hid him in the milkhouse. When the mob approached her home to demand the fugitive, the brave Christian lady quieted them temporarily with refreshments. While Charles’ would be captors were eating and planning their next move, she snuck out to the milkhouse and directed Wesley to go through a rear window and to hide under a hedge.

From this hiding place, Wesley could hear the movement an angry voices of his pursuers. He settled back into the hedge to await their departure. He filled his waiting time by composing a hymn; a prayer of trust in God as his refuge: Jesus, Lover of My Soul.

1.      Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, 
	while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high. 
	Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; 
	safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last. 

2.	Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee; 
	leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. 
	All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; 
	cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.

3.	Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in thee I find; 
	raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind. 
	Just and holy is thy name, I am all unrighteousness; 
	false and full of sin I am; thou art full of truth and grace. 

4.	Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; 
	let the healing streams abound, make and keep me pure within. 
	Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee; 
	spring thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

“Other refuge have I not”. How many “answers” does the world give us today? Jesus is our only answer!

= = = = = = =

3: Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending (1758)

The Wesleys wanted to be absolutely sure that the words to their hymns were biblically pure. Before anything was published, Charles got together with Jon and they made sure that everything in the hymn was consistent with the Bible.

Scripture references (verse 1)…

References for verse 2…

Like so many of Wesley’s texts, this hymn abounds with biblical imagery.

• Verses 1, 2, 7: Are based on the rich language of John’s apocalyptic visions recorded in Revelation 1:7 and 5:11-13.
• Verse 3: Reminds us that Christ’s wounds and atoning death should lead us to greater faith and ultimately to our worship of Christ in glory (as Christ Himself reminded the doubting Thomas).
• Verse 4: A majestic doxology to Christ, our Savior and Lord.

1.	Lo, he comes with clouds descending, 
	once for favored sinners slain;
	thousand, thousand saints attending 
	swell the triumph of his train. 
	Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 
	God appears on earth to reign. 

2.	Every eye shall now behold him, 
	robed in dreadful majesty; 
	those who set at naught and sold him,
	pierced and nailed him to the tree, 
	deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing, 
	shall the true Messiah see. 

3.	The dear tokens of his passion 
	still his dazzling body bears; 
	cause of endless exultation 
	to his ransomed worshipers; 
	with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture, 
	gaze we on those glorious scars! 

4.	Yea, Amen! Let all adore thee, 
	high on thy eternal throne; 
	Savior, take the power and glory, 
	claim the kingdom for thine own.
	Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 
	Everlasting God, come down!

= = = = = = =

4: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (1744)

Think back to that first Christmas. It was a time of waiting; looking for a Messiah who would relieve the Jewish people from the brutal suffering that the Romans were inflicting on them. Jesus came, and He brought them a relationship with God that freed humanity from the ravages of sin.

Even as we accept God’s gift of grace today, we continue to look for Jesus’ return. We look to God for answers, for justice, and for all our needs in this crazy world. We need someone to trust! And so, we too can join in the plea “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus!” This isn’t a hymn that we only sing at Christmas; we long for Christ’s advent at all times.

Only Jesus can fill the longing of our hearts. People look for answers in all the wrong places, so John and Charles had a burning desire to show people that God will answer… He’ll be there.

Scripture references for verse 1…

Scripture references for verses 3-4…

The double nature of Advent is reflected in this text, in which we remember Christ’s first coming even while praying for His return.

• Stanza 1 recalls Advent prophecies in the Old Testament.
• Stanza 4 is a prayer for Christ’s rule in our hearts.

1.	Come, thou long expected Jesus, 
	born to set thy people free; 
	from our fears and sins release us, 
	let us find our rest in thee.  
	Israel's strength and consolation, 
	hope of all the earth thou art; 
	dear desire of every nation, 
	joy of every longing heart.

2.	Born thy people to deliver, 
	born a child and yet a King, 
	born to reign in us forever, 
	now thy gracious kingdom bring. 
	By thine own eternal spirit 
	rule in all our hearts alone; 
	by thine all sufficient merit, 
	raise us to thy glorious throne.

= = = = = = =

5: Rejoice the Lord is King (1744)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

Mini-quiz #1…

We need to live out this truth! We need to rejoice over this truth! Celebrate that God’s goodness reigns!!!

Verse 1 rejoices over Christ’s Kingship, whose rule extends “o’er earth and heaven.”

Scripture reference for verse 2:

I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Revelation 1:18

This hymn opens with a jubilant call to rejoice in the reign of our Lord.

The middle stanzas are rich in biblical allusions to the triumphant reign of Christ. Check out these scripture references for verse 3…

We are assured that Jesus has removed the guilt of our sin and is now reigning at Gods right hand. He’s in complete control over death and hell.

Here are some references for verse 4…

This final stanza reminds us to look forward in hope of Christ’s Second Coming (1 Peter 1:21). In view of this joyful future, the refrain reminds us to “Rejoice, again I say Rejoice!” (see Philippians 4:4).

1.	Rejoice, the Lord is King! 
	Your Lord and King adore; 
	mortals, give thanks and sing, 
	and triumph evermore. 
	Lift up your heart, 
	lift up your voice; rejoice; 
	again I say, rejoice. 

2.	Jesus the Savior reigns, 
	the God of truth and love; 
	when he had purged our stains, 
	he took his seat above. 
	Lift up your heart, 
	lift up your voice; rejoice, 
	again I say, rejoice. 

3.	His kingdom cannot fail; 
	he rules o'er earth and heaven; 
	the keys of earth and hell 
	are to our Jesus given. 
	Lift up your heart, 
	lift up your voice; rejoice, 
	again I say, rejoice. 

4.	Rejoice in glorious hope! 
	Jesus the Judge shall come, 
	and take his servants up 
	to their eternal home. 
	We soon shall hear 
	th'archangel's voice; the trump of God 
	shall sound, rejoice!

= = = = = = =

6: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

OK… this hymn is about as Christmas as it can get, right? BUT- the resurrection of Christ is so key to our faith, that the Wesleys included Easter in almost every hymn. So even in a traditional Christmas carol like this one, you can’t get away from Easter.

Mini-quiz #2…

1.	Hark! the herald angels sing, 
	"Glory to the new born King, 
	peace on earth, and mercy mild, 
	God and sinners reconciled!" 
	Joyful, all ye nations rise, 
	join the triumph of the skies; 
	with th' angelic host proclaim, 
	"Christ is born in Bethlehem!" 
	Hark! the herald angels sing, 
	"Glory to the new born King!" 

2.	Christ, by highest heaven adored; 
	Christ, the everlasting Lord; 
	late in time behold him come, 
	offspring of a virgin's womb. 
	Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; 
	hail th' incarnate Deity, 
	pleased with us in flesh to dwell, 
	Jesus, our Emmanuel. 
	Hark! the herald angels sing, 
	"Glory to the new born King!" 

3.	Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! 
	Hail the Sun of Righteousness! 
	Light and life to all he brings, 
	risen with healing in his wings. 
	Mild he lays his glory by, 
	born that we no more may die, 
	born to raise us from the earth, 
	born to give us second birth. 
	Hark! the herald angels sing, 
	"Glory to the new born King!"

BIG Quiz!!!

Did open all of those drop down boxes, pause the audio, and pray through the hymns? If so, you’ll have no problem answering these questions.

As you reflect on what you’ve just heard/read, give this quiz a try. If you don’t understand an answer (or if you disagree with the “correct” answer, post a comment).

Select the title of the hymn which contains the given line…

+     +     +     +     +     +     +

Click this button to view other sermons:   Sermon Archive